Captain steps-up a year on

Wayne Lordan secured his second winner on the beach at Laytown as Captain May runner-up in the event last year, landed the Gilna's Cottage Inn Maiden.

Owned by former amateur rider Aileen Sloane-Lee and trained by her husband Andrew, the Captain Rio gelding went off the 3/1 favourite to succeed in this seven furlong contest.

As was the case in 2012, Captain May made the running but this time he was able to fend them all off, seeing off a grouping headed by That's Plenty with Gun Shoot Merry Mast (Andy Slattery's runner, second in the opener with Ucanchoose , Atiya and King Of Oriel in behind. There was a gap back to the rest.

Mrs Sloane-Lee explained: "He was in good form coming here – working very well.

"His last piece of work was very good so we were very positive coming here.

"Barry Murphy actually sold me the horse. I was looking for one for a syndicate but that broke up when a very nice man lost his job so I took him on.

"He can be a bit of a monkey at times and it was hard to know his trip.

"Wayne gave him a copy-book ride and he did exactly what he was told.

"He can pan out a bit in the middle of his races but he worked with him and we're delighted.

"We'll look for something in Listowel next." (GC & EM)